Tag Archives: digital

*OM-D E-M5 vs G3… what’s this about a new sensor?

by in Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

The Micro 4/3 system has really grown up in the last year. Sensor tech has taken a substantial step forward and the lens lineup has rounded itself out very nicely. Much has been eluded to regarding the origins of the OM-D E-M5 sensor, is it a reworked Panasonic sensor, a Sony sensor, an inhouse super secret sensor??? Oly came out and admitted that Sony is the manufacturer of the sensor in the OM-D E-M5 quelling the rumor mill, and of course, the G3/GX1 (and quite possibly the soon to be G5) sensor, built by Panasonic, is in fact different. That all said, I really wanted to see how these two sensors compared to one another as I have been very impressed by the G3. C’mon in and we’ll take a closer look at a few files.

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*Exposure 4, it just keeps getting better.

by in Software tutorials / reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

I’ve been a huge fan of Alien Skin’s software for years now so I’m sure it’s no surprise that I’m excited by their recent update to an already killer plugin.  Exposure 4 keeps the functional structure in tact and further enhances its skill set to fine tune it into a plugin that will help any photographer, or digital artist further realize their final vision.

Read on for my experience through this exciting new release…

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*Tiffen Dfx 3, one plugin to rule them all?

by in Postprocessing techniques, Software tutorials / reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

There are no shortages of plugins to help photographers and digital artists streamline their workflow and help fine tune their look. Tiffen Dfx-3 offers an amazing amount of digital filters and user manipulatable options in one plugin. Is it useful to have this many options in one plugin, or is it too much? Well, depending on your needs and budget, this may be the only photoshop plugin you’d ever require. Read on for examples and my tip of the iceberg review on this amazingly filter packed plugin…

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*Topaz Clean 3, bang for your buck.

by in Postprocessing techniques, Software tutorials / reviews and tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

At first glance, Topaz Clean 3 seems like a simple, straightforward plugin.  A few presets give you distinct looks which blur detail anywhere from slight to cartoony.  If utilized properly, it can provide a great skin softening plugin, or an abstract, artistic pixel obliterator.  Coming in at under thirty bucks, it might just be the plugin you didn’t know you were looking for.

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*Snap Art 3, unleash your inner artist!

by in Postprocessing techniques, Software tutorials / reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Anyone familiar with my blog knows I’m a fan of artistic, digital image file manipulation.  Be that through actions, plugins or standalone software, I like to use my pictures in a variety of different ways.  One thing I’ve always wanted to be better at, but was never able to hone my skill, is painting.  So, into my life fell digital photography, but there was that tactile, artistic void left behind.  I have tried Corel’s Painter, which is an amazing program, but one that requires just short of a masters degree to fully understand, and is in my opinion much better utilized by those who are already decent actual painters.  Well, I’ve always wanted to be able to finely tune, and offer digital painting as a conversion for a digital picture file both personally and professionally, and until I tried my hand at Alien Skin’s Snap Art 3, I had resigned myself to putting it on the bucket list.  A plugin for either Photoshop or Lightroom, the seamless and intuitive interface can help you produce digital paintings and drawings with a variety of media in a matter of seconds.  Read on for initial feelings and examples…

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*Lensbaby’s sweet, ‘Sweet 35’

by in General ramblings, Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

It’s here.  This, more than any other Lensbaby optic I’ve personally used, changes the Lensbaby from a fun tool, into a productive, creative asset.  Not that any of the other Lensbaby optics are bad, quite the contrary, I think that the Lensbaby system is and has always been a wonderful addition to my photographic arsenal, it’s just that up until now, one big challenge with any of the Lensbaby optics has been the inability to alter the size of the sweet spot via aperture adjustment quickly on the fly…  Now, you can bring all of the cool, selective focus effects into concert with the adaptability and exposure tuning qualities of a more standard lens.  Read on for a quick video and image samples…

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*Which lens for which situation?

by in General ramblings, Photography gear, Photography tutorials and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

different tools for different applications

I like to spend time on flickr.  It is an amazingly diverse community of photographers ranging from absolute novices to consummate professionals.  One of the questions that come up in the gear groups there and in conversation with other photographers quite often is, “which lens should I purchase?”  With interchangeable lens system cameras coming down in price by the day it seems, it is becoming much more accessible to acquire high quality photographic tools.  One of the main benefits to an interchangeable lens camera, is just that, lenses!  Which to choose and why?  C’mon in and we shall discuss.  Before the end of this article, you too will know which lenses will provide you with the best bang for you buck, depending on which buck you choose to bang… Continue reading →

*Metering and Exposure Compensation. Which, when, why?

by in Photography tutorials and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Metered off the wall…

Metering for a particular scene can be tricky.  The goal, in most cases, is to expose for your subject, telling your camera what it should consider the proper exposure for 18%, or “Middle Gray” and adjusting your exposure based on the light that is hitting your subject, or the light involved in the scene.  Most cameras will utilize an automatic, average metering as a default which most of the time will do a decent job at keeping the highlights and shadows in control.  First, before we delve into the different metering styles, we should examine one of the most helpful tools on your camera.  The histogram. Continue reading →

*A photographic study in light, Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn Style!

by in Lighting tutorials, Photographic Study Masters Series, Photography tutorials and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

** Self Portrait – Rembrandt – 1629

(*Blog authors note: Hi, I’ve been seeing a lot of traffic from google searches to this article.  I’d love to hear from those readers about if and how the following article is helping them! thanks and I hope you enjoy – Tyson)

Many art forms mimic the artistic mediums that came before it.  Portrait photography is a way to paint a subject with light and has always been very influenced by the previous predominant form of portrait art, painting.  One master painter that is studied by photographers for his use of light, shadow and impeccable chiaroscuro shading techniques is Rembrandt. …Dude knew his light. Continue reading →

*Panasonic GF-1, my new obsession.

by in General ramblings, Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

The start of a new decade brings with it a shift in digital image capturing technology.  From an ambitious snapshooter’s perspective, perhaps the most versatile system has presented itself.  While the discerning professional may not consider the micro 4/3 system cameras heavy lifting tools, it is at least an intriguing compact system for lighter shooting.  Continue reading →